Sustainable Yarns Are Re-threading Interior Design: What Designers Need to Know

Recorded live at Clerkenwell Design Week in the Solus showroom, with Glenn Hyzak (Sales Director) and Valerie Buchhart (Marketing Manager) from Sustainable Yarns.

If you’re anything like me, you want to design smarter, not harder—and certainly not dirtier. Flooring is one of the biggest levers we have. Here’s a staggering stat to set the scene: 1.6 million tonnes of carpet are disposed of in the EU every year, mostly to landfill and incineration. As designers, we can help turn that tide—starting with the yarn.

This post distils a recent episode of The Interior Design Podcast into a clear, practical guide to choosing lower-carbon, higher-integrity carpet yarns—without sacrificing aesthetics, performance or project budgets.

Why yarn is the sustainability hotspot in carpet

On average, around 80% of a carpet’s environmental footprint comes from the fibre in the yarn. It’s what you see, touch and walk on—so if we reduce the yarn’s footprint, we meaningfully reduce the whole carpet’s footprint.

The industry standard has long been polyamide 6 (nylon)—durable and design-friendly, but traditionally carbon-intensive. The good news: credible innovations are pushing that footprint down fast.

How far down is “down”?

• Not long ago, a typical virgin carpet yarn emitted ~8 kg CO₂e per kg of yarn.

• Industry improvements have already brought some virgin baselines to ~6.5 kg CO₂e/kg.

• Newer solutions from Sustainable Yarns lower this significantly again—into the ~2–4 kg CO₂e/kg range depending on the route.

Three credible routes to lower-carbon yarn

Sustainable Yarns supply many of the flooring brands we already know. They’re pursuing three main pathways—each measurable against carbon footprint (global warming potential, or GWP).

1. EcoBalance (bio-circular / biogenic)

   • Feedstocks: used cooking oil, tall oil and other food-industry waste streams.

   • Benefits: Major GWP reductions without stealing land from agriculture.

   • Design impact: None—you still get the full spectrum of colour and clarity.

2. EcoCycle (recycled content)

   • Sources: Post-industrial and post-consumer waste.

   • Benefits: Reduces demand for virgin material and lowers the overall footprint.

   • Reality check: Collection and sorting remain industry challenges; it’s part of the mix, not the single silver bullet.

3. EcoYarn (lower-carbon virgin)

   • Still fossil-based, but produced with best-in-class upstream efficiencies, waste minimisation and renewable energy, resulting in a meaningfully reduced carbon footprint.

   • Useful when recycled feedstock isn’t feasible for technical or aesthetic reasons.

Key principle: Don’t let sustainability limit design. With these routes, colour, pattern and performance remain uncompromised.

Greenwashing vs. transparency (and how to spot the difference)

Glenn and Valerie were refreshingly blunt: green claims must be backed by data and certification. Sustainable Yarns put their wording through internal compliance and share the numbers behind the claims.

What to ask suppliers:

• “What’s the GWP (kg CO₂e/kg) for this yarn?”

• “Is this recycled, bio-circular, or lower-carbon virgin? What proportion?”

• “Which standards, audits or certificates substantiate your claims?”

• “Can you provide a short methodology note on how the carbon figure is calculated?”

If the answers are vague, evasive or defensive, that’s your sign.

Design reality: affordable and acceptable

We all juggle budgets, lead times and logistics. Sometimes an overseas-made component is dramatically cheaper than a UK bespoke equivalent. The sustainable choice isn’t always black-and-white; it’s about inching forward with the best available option that’s affordable and acceptable—and pushing demand so economies of scale keep improving the greener routes.

Take the incremental win now rather than waiting for the perfect unicorn later.

Circularity starts on the drawing board

We can’t close the loop at end-of-life if we don’t design for it at the start.

Design-to-recycle checklist:

• Material clarity: Keep clear records of what’s specified (fibre type, backing type, adhesives).

• Separable layers: Choose systems that can be disassembled for easier material recovery.

• Standard formats: Where possible, use modular sizes that are easier to lift, replace and recycle.

• Take-back readiness: Prefer manufacturers with return schemes or partnerships for recovery.

Today’s recycling bottleneck is as much logistical as technical; industry-wide collaboration is essential. Our specs and site practices can help unlock that.

Practical steps for designers—starting today

1. Create a “sustainable first” sample rack Make it your default browsing zone. Ask reps: “Show me your recycled, bio-circular or low-carbon options first.”

2. Specify by GWP, not just by nameAdd a maximum GWP target to your FF&E brief (e.g., “carpet yarn ≤ 4 kg CO₂e/kg”). It focuses everyone on measurable outcomes.

3. Interrogate claims (nicely but firmly)Ask for numbers, sources and certificates. If a rep hand-waves sustainability, consider the values misfit.

4. Design for second lifeChoose systems and details that aid disassembly and recovery. Document it for future FM teams.

5. Build a reuse habitRehome uplifted product and surplus furniture. A small warehouse or a partner charity can keep value circulating—and sometimes even covers the coffee (or nail) fund.

6. Balance the triangleAim for solutions that are ecologically better, economically viable and aesthetically right. When you can’t hit all three, bank the best available move and keep pushing.

What’s next in yarn innovation?

• More internal waste recapture in spinning lines.

• Exploring recycled polyester in automotive applications.

• Continued R&D on bio-based options (colour consistency remains the current challenge).

• Bigger ecosystem collaboration so take-back and true circularity scale more easily.

The momentum is real. We’re not at zero yet—but we’re getting materially closer, fast.

One thing to change this week

Choose manufacturers with sustainability in their mindset—and the numbers to prove it. Start with a quick audit of your go-to flooring brands. If they can’t show credible GWP data and a clear pathway (recycled, bio-circular, or lower-carbon virgin), widen your bench.

For deeper definitions, example figures and to request samples, the Sustainable Yarns website is a solid reference point. And if you’re a flooring manufacturer not already moving on this, it’s time to talk to them.

Thanks for reading! If this was useful, please share it with another designer who’s trying to spec smarter. And if you want the full conversation with Glenn and Valerie, check out the episode of The Interior Design Podcast—packed with candid insight, fewer buzzwords, and more “let’s-actually-do-this” energy.